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The White House acknowledged on Thursday that it approached Colorado Senate candidate Andrew Romanoff with talk of a job in order to clear the field for its preferred candidate.

In an early morning statement, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs insisted Romanoff was not actually offered a specific position, but said the White House did try to prevent Romanoff from doing battle with Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) in a primary.

Gibbs portrayed White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina’s contacts with Romanoff as merely following up on an application Romanoff submitted during the presidential transition to work at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Romanoff also had called White House personnel about the position after the Obama administration took office, according to Gibbs.

“Jim Messina called and e-mailed Romanoff last September to see if he was still interested in a position at USAID, or if, as had been reported, he was running for the U.S. Senate,” Gibbs said.

“Months earlier, the president had endorsed Sen. Michael Bennet for the Colorado seat, and Messina wanted to determine if it was possible to avoid a costly battle between two supporters.

“But Romanoff said that he was committed to the Senate race and no longer interested in working for the administration, and that ended the discussion,” Gibbs said. “As Mr. Romanoff has stated, there was no offer of a job.”

Obama and the White House are now in the difficult position of defending backroom political maneuvering meant to help the party retain working majorities in the House and Senate. Democrats expect to lose seats in both chambers in this fall’s elections.

Have you seen how media matters is spinning these? They're building a case that these were not 'job' offers because there would be no pay involved - they would only get to be advisors to the president . . . And this is a so called media watch dog group . . .

Like the WashPost yesterday, ABC headline writers seem to not understand the meaning of the word "job." Here's the ABC headline in question:

Two President and the Sestak Job Offer

But as the article itself clearly states, there was no "job" offer [emphasis added]:

Rep. Joe Sestak, a Pennsylvania Democrat, was urged last summer to take a prestigious presidential advisory position in exchange not running against Sen. Arlen Specter in the state's Democratic primary.

Obviously, an unpaid "advisory position" is not the same thing as a "job." Here's the definition of "job":

1. A regular activity performed in exchange for payment, especially as one's trade, occupation, or profession.

I realize it sounds better for the press to claim that the White House offered Sestak a "job." But since that claim is not true, it might be wise for the press to stop telling that tale.

1. A regular activity performed in exchange for payment, especially as one's trade, occupation, or profession.

Wouldn't payment be anything of value, not just money. I guess if a person gets promoted to a supervisor without a pay raise, that's not a promotion.

I feel that once a black fella has referred to white foks as "honky paleface devil white-trash cracker redneck Caspers," he's abdicated the right to get upset about the "N" word. But that's just me. -- Jim Goad

Deputy Assistant Administrator for Latin America and Caribbean, USAID
As one of five geographic bureaus in the Agency and as a major contributor to the broader U.S. foreign policy objectives in the region, the Bureau for Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) promotes stable democracies, prosperous economies, secure borders, and cooperative neighbors in the Western Hemisphere. The LAC Bureau is taking a proactive approach to maximizing the impact of foreign assistance and continuing its efforts to transform and improve business operations that support Agency-wide reforms. In line with the new Foreign Assistance Framework, priorities include consolidating democracy, fostering growth through free trade and business opportunities, investing in people through education and health, and enhancing security by promoting alternatives to illegal drug cultivation. Additionally, the Bureau is implementing a number of highly visible programs in the Western Hemisphere, including support for the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA); the Andean Counter-Narcotics Initiative; the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis, and Malaria; and the recommendations for the Presidential commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba.
This position reports to the Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean. The position functions as advisor to the Assistant Administrator, LAC. The position is responsible for oversight and general management of one or more LAC Bureau offices.

Director, Office of Democracy and Governance, USAID
The Director is the chief operations officer of the Office and a principal advisor to senior Bureau and USAID management in defining the scope and objectives of the Agency’s and the Administration’s initiatives to support democracy and foster good governance. Activities of the Director include oversight for all staffing and personnel functions in the Office, as well as oversight of technical officer recruitment, selection, and placement, and direct supervision of the senior democracy and governance advisors for the Agency. The Director provides program definition, design and oversight, and evaluation for USAID’s democracy and good governance programs and serves as a senior advisor in the administration for developing democracy and good governance program strategies. The Director supports democracy and good governance programs in all parts of the Agency and leads in the development of strategic approaches to democracy support and good governance. The Director represents the Agency at the senior level with other U.S. Government departments and agencies, with senior officials of foreign governments, with senior political officials from host countries, and with senior officials of U.S. implementing organizations. This position reports to the Assistant Administrator for Democracy, Conflict and Human Rights (DCHA).

Director, U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA)
USTDA was first created as part of USAID through the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and made independent in 1991. Their stated mission is to “advance economic development and U.S. commercial interests in developing and middle-income countries.” Unlike Ex-Im , OPIC and other international development agencies, USTDA does not directly finance exports and development. Instead, the agency seeks to achieve its mission by making small grants to fund feasibility studies, reverse trade missions, conferences, trainings, and other technical assistance programs that link U.S. companies to overseas development projects. With a budget of $55.2 million (FY 2010) and a staff of 78 professionals (48 full-time, 25 contractors and 5 foreign-service nationals), USTDA’s success is dependent on being able to seek out new opportunities, leverage its private and government relationships, and find development opportunities for both private business and larger federal foreign assistance/development agencies. A testament of USTDA’s success is its ratio of grant dollars spent versus dollars in exports created, which is nearly 1:35. This position requires Senate confirmation.

"In England a king hath little more to do than to make war and give away places; which in plain terms, is to impoverish the nation and set it together by the ears. A pretty business indeed for a man to be allowed eight hundred thousand sterling a year for, and worshipped into the bargain! Of more worth is one honest man to society and in the sight of God, than all the crowned ruffians that ever lived."
—Thomas Paine, Common Sense

These people are going to be like cats trying to cover up s^&t on a linoleum floor before this is over.

Obama has an aid all ready to take the fall for this one.

I feel that once a black fella has referred to white foks as "honky paleface devil white-trash cracker redneck Caspers," he's abdicated the right to get upset about the "N" word. But that's just me. -- Jim Goad